Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

As I recall, Hudson Institute has funded every reactionary corporate agenda
imaginable. The prime suspect on the spinach was feedlot runoff to an
ajacent farm. 

FYI I've read that the average small-scale organic farmer uses no
pesticides, natural or otherwise, relying on other methods of pest control
if needed. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 4/9/2007 at 8:52 AM Ken Hargesheimer wrote:

>This is from an India listserve I am on.  I have been corresponding with
>this guy for the last 2-3 days.  I thought you people would find it
>interesting.  Avery is a spokesman for the chemical industry if case you
>do not know.  
>   
>  I told Marcus I want my food grown in healthy soil which follows nature.
>   
>  Ken Hargesheimer
>
>Marcus Ferrell <aeroagro@rogers.com> wrote:
>  From: "Marcus Ferrell" <aeroagro@rogers.com>
>To: "'Ken Hargesheimer'" <minifarms2@yahoo.com>
>Subject: RE: A Doctor Speaks On Organic Consumption
>Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 10:28:42 -0400
>
>    Hi Ken,
>   
>  Alex Avery - Director of Research
>  Centre for Global Food Issues
>  Hudson Institute
>   
>  "But it's not always by accident that pesticides end up on organic
>foods; sometimes
>  they are deliberately applied. Most people don't realize that organic
>farmers are allowed 
>  to use a wide array of "natural", nonsynthetic chemicals as pest
>killers, and just because 
>  those pesticides are natural doesn't mean that aren't toxic.
>   
>  The natural pesticide rotenone, for instance, found in a number of
>plants, causes Parkinson's 
>  symptoms when injected into rats. Pyrethrum, derived from dried
>Chrysanthemum heads, has 
>  been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as having
>"suggestive evidence 
>  of carcinogenicity".
>   
>   
>   
>  Christine Bruhn - Director
>  Center for Consumer Research
>  University of California - Davis
>   
>  "Washing alone removes from 70-99 percent of pesticide residues. After
>washing, any trace 
>  elements are minute. In fact, we're exposed, on average, to only about
>0.09 milligrams of 
>  synthetic pesticides daily.
>   
>  Compare that to our daily consumption of built-in pesticides that every
>plant from tomatoes to
>  lettuce, produces naturally to deter insects, animals and fungi: roughly
>1,500 milligrams a day -
>  or 16,000 times as much."
>   
>   
>  Bruce Ames - Professor
>  Biochemistry and Molecular- Biology
>  University of California, Berkley
>   
>  "And the proportion of nature's pesticides that cause cancer in rodents
>is the same as for
>  synthetic pesticides."
>   
>   
>  University of Minnesota - Study
>  Journal of Food Protection - 2004
>   
>  " Far more dangerous is E. coli, which was found to be more prevalent in
>organic produce
>  than in conventional. The study looked at 32 organic, and eight
>conventional farms. It found
>  the overall presence of E. coli in the organic produce tested "was
>approximately six fold greater 
>  than in conventional fruits and vegetables. ( It was spinach from an
>organic farming operation
>  in California that was tainted with E. coli in 2006, causing 3 deaths,
>and 200 cases of illness.) Wash-
>  ing will NOT kill the bacteria.
>   
>   
>  Don't get me wrong. I am a staunch supporter of organic farming methods.
>MY problem with the 
>  industry is all the false claims made based on "bad science". 
>   
>  Personally, I am preparing to start an organic "aeroponic" operation
>here in Canada. My goal is to
>  create a totally segregated ecosystem. Free from outside contamination.
>Not dependent on 
>  nutrient deficient soil as a growing medium. Producing multiple harvests
>of organic produce on a 
>  year round basis.
>